When I am dull with care and melancholy, Mer. I am invited, sir, to certain merchants, Mer. Sir, I commend you to your own content. [Exit. Ant. S. He that commends me to mine own content, Commends me to the thing I cannot get. I to the world am like a drop of water, That in the ocean seeks another drop; Who, falling there to find his fellow forth, Unseen, inquisitive, confounds himself: So I, to find a mother, and a brother, In quest of them, unhappy, lose myself. Enter DROMIO of Ephesus. Here comes the almanack of my true date.-, Ant. S. Stop in your wind, sir. Tell me this, I pray; ? Where have you left the money that I gave you me, in post; Ant. S. I am not in a sportive humor now. Reserve them till a merrier hour than this. ishness, And tell me how thou hast dispos'd thy charge. mart Home to your house, the Phoenix, sir, to dinner. My mistress, and her sister, stay for you. Ant. S. Now, as I am a Christian, answer me, In what safe place you have bestow'd my money, Or I shall break that merry 'sconce of yours, That stands on tricks when I am undispos'd. Where is the thousand marks thou had'st of me? "Soon at," i. e., about.- Accompany.- Loses. "The almanack of my true date," i, e., because he and Dromio were both born in the same hour.-"Are penitent," i. e., are doing penance.-' Head. Dro. E. I have some marks of yours upon my pate; Some of my mistress' marks upon my shoulders, But not a thousand marks between you both. If I should pay your worship those again, Perchance you would not bear them patiently. Ant. S. Thy mistress' marks! what mistress, slave, hast thou? Dro. E. Your worship's wife, my mistress at the She that doth fast till you come home to dinner, Dro. E. What mean you, sir? for God's sake, hold your hands. Nay, an you will not, sir, I'll take my heels. ACT II. SCENE I-A public Place. [Exit. Enter ADRIANA, wife to ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus, and LUCIANA her sister. Adr. Neither my husband, nor the slave return'd, That in such haste I sent to seek his master? Sure, Luciana, it is two o'clock. Luc. Perhaps, some merchant hath invited him, And from the mart he's somewhere gone to dinner. Good sister, let us dine, and never fret. A man is master of his liberty: Time is their master; and, when they see time, Adr. Why should their liberty than ours be more? Lords of the wide world, and wild wat'ry seas, Indued with intellectual sense and souls, Adr. This servitude makes you to keep unwed. Luc. Ere I learn love, I'll practise to obey. Mock; insult.- Overreached. The "Centaur" was the sign of the inn where he was entertained.-i. e., woe is the punishment of headstrong liberty. Adr. How if your husband start some other a where? They can be meek, that have no other cause. But were we burden'd with like weight of pain, Luc. Well, I will marry one day, but to try.Here comes your man: now is your husband nigh. Enter DROMIO of Ephesus. Adr. Say, is your tardy master now at hand? Dro. E. Nay, he is at two hands with me, and that my two ears can witness. Adr. Say, didst thou speak with him? Know'st thou his mind? Dro. E. Ay ay; he told his mind upon mine ear. Beshrew his hand, I scarce could understand it. Luc. Spake he so doubly, thou couldst not feel his meaning? Dro. E. Nay, he struck so plainly, I could too well feel his blows; and withal so doubly, that I could scarce understand them. Adr. But say, I pr'ythee, is he coming home? It seems, he hath great care to please his wife. Dro. E. Why, mistress, sure my master is horn-mad. Adr. Horn-mad, thou villain! Dro. E. I mean not cuckold-mad; But, sure, he is stark mad. When I desir'd him to come home to dinner, He ask'd me for a thousand marks in gold: 'Tis dinner-time, quoth I; my gold, quoth he: Your meat doth burn, quoth I; my gold, quoth he: Will you come, quoth I? my gold, quoth he: Where is the thousand marks gave thee, villain? The pig, quoth I, is burn'd; my gold, quoth he: My mistress, sir, quoth I; hang up thy mistress! I know not thy mistress: out on thy mistress! Luc. Quoth who? Dro. E. Quoth my master: I know, quoth he, no house, no wife, no mistress. I thank him, I bear home upon my shoulders; Adr. Go back again, thou slave, and fetch him home. Dro. E. Go back again, and be new beaten home? For God's sake, send some other messenger. Adr. Back, slave, or I will break thy pate across. Dro. E. And he will bless that cross with other Between you I shall have a holy head. [beating. Adr. Hence, prating peasant! fetch thy master home. Dro. E. Am I so fround with you, as you with me, That like a foot-ball you do spurn me thus? You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither: of I last in this service, you must case me in leather. [Exit. Luc. Fie, how impatience lowreth in your face! Adr. His company must do his minions grace, Whilst I at home starve for a merry look. Hath homely age th' alluring beauty took From my poor cheek? then, he hath wasted it: a "Some other where," i. e., somewhere else. The mean. ing is, "How if your husband start in pursuit of other women?"-"Though she pause," i. e., though she be quiet. "No other cause," i. e., no cause to be otherwise. Idiotic. Stand under."Round" is plain-spoken: Dromio uses the word in a double sense, alluding to the foot-ball, | Are my discourses dull? barren my wit? So he would keep fair quarter with his bed! Will lose his beauty: yet though gold 'bides still, SCENE II.-The Same. Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse. How now, sir! is your merry humor alter'd? Dro. S. I did not see you since you sent me hence, Home to the Centaur, with the gold you gave me. Ant. S. Villain, thou didst deny the gold's receipt, And told'st me of a mistress, and a dinner; For which, I hope, thou felt'st I was displeas'd. Dro. S. I am glad to see you in this merry vein. What means this jest? I pray you, master, tell me. Ant. S. Yea, dost thou jeer, and flout me in the teeth? Think'st thou, I jest? Hold, take thou that, and that. [Beating him. Dro. S. Hold, sir, for God's sake! now your jest Upon what bargain do you give it me? [is earnest: Ant. S. Because that I familiarly sometimes Do use you for my fool, and chat with you, Your sauciness will jest upon my love, And make a common of my serious "hours. When the sun shines let foolish gnats make sport, But creep in crannies when he hides his beams. If you will jest with me, know my aspect, And fashion your demeanor to my looks, "Defeatures," i. e., change of features; loss of comeliness. Beauty; fairness." Stale," i. e., cast-off favorite.Hinders. i. e., Would that he would keep the chain alone from me.-m "And" is used here, probably, for an.-i. e., intrude on them when you please.-"Know my aspect," i. e., study my countenance. Or I will beat this method in your sconce Dro. S. Nothing, sir; but that I am beaten. Dro. S. Ay, sir, and wherefore; for, they say, every why hath a wherefore. Ant. S. Why, first,-for flouting me; and then, wherefore, for urging it the second time to me. Dro. S. Was there ever any man thus beaten out of season, [rhyme nor reason?— When, in the why, and the wherefore, is neither Well, sir, I thank you. Ant. S. Thank me, sir? for what? Dro. S. Marry, sir, for this something, that you gave me for nothing. Ant. S. I'll make you amends next, and give you nothing for something. But say, sir, is it dinner time? Dro. S. No, sir: I think, the meat wants that I have. Ant. S. In good time, sir; what's that? Ant. S. Well, sir, then 'twill be dry. Dro. S. If it be, sir, I pray you eat none of it. Dro. S. Lest it make you choleric, and purchase me another dry basting. Ant. S. Well, sir, learn to jest in good time: there's a time for all things. Dro. S. I durst have denied that, before you were so choleric. Ant. S. By what rule, sir? Dro. S. Marry, and did, sir; namely, e'en no time to recover hair lost by nature. Ant. S. But your reason was not substantial, why there is no time to recover. Dro. S. Thus I mend it: Time himself is bald, and therefore, to the world's end, will have bald followers. Ant. S. I knew, 'twould be a bald conclusion. But soft! who wafts us yonder? Enter ADRIANA and LUCIANA. Adr. Ay, ay, Antipholus, look strange, and frown: The time was once, when thou unurg'd would'st vow As take from me thyself, and not me too. Dro. S. Marry, sir, by a rule as plain as the plain And tear the stain'd skin off my harlot-brow, bald pate of father Time himself. Ant. S. Let's hear it. Dro. S. There's no time for a man to recover his hair that grows bald by nature. Ant. S. May he not do it by fine and recovery? Dro. S. Yes, to pay a fine for a periwig, and recover the lost hair of another man. Ant. S. Why is Time such a niggard of hair, being, as it is, so plentiful an excrement? Dro. S. Because it is a blessing that he bestows on beasts; and what he hath scanted men in hair, he hath given them in wit. Ant. S. Why, but there's many a man hath more hair than wit. Dro. S. Not a man of those, but he hath the wit to lose his hair. Ant. S. Why, thou didst conclude hairy men plain dealers, without wit. Dro. S. The plainer dealer, the sooner lost: yet he loseth it in a kind of jollity, Ant. S. For what reason? Dro. S. For two; and sound ones too. Ant. S Nay, not sound, I pray you. Dro. S. Sure ones then. And from my false hand cut the wedding-ring, I know thou can'st; and therefore, see, thou do it. Keep then fair league and truce with thy true bed, 5 [you! Ant. S. Plead you to me, fair dame? I know you In Ephesus I am but two hours old, As strange unto your town, as to your talk; Who, every word by all my wit being scann'd, Want wit in all one word to understand. Luc. Fie, brother: how the world is chang'd with When were you wont to use my sister thus? She sent for you by Dromio home to dinner. Ant. S. By Dromio? Dro. S. By me? [him, Adr. By thee; and this thou didst return from That he did buffet thee, and, in his blows Denied my house for his, me for his wife. [woman? Ant. S. Did you converse, sir, with this gentleWhat is the course and drift of your compact? Dro. S. I, sir? I never saw her till this time. Ant. S. Villain, thou liest; for even her very words Didst thou deliver to me on the mart. Dro. S. I never spake with her in all my life. Ant. S. How can she thus then call us by our names, Unless it be by inspiration? Adr. How ill agrees it with your gravity To counterfeit thus grossly with your slave, • Beckons.- "Fall," i. e., let fall.- Debauched. Abetting him to thwart me in my mood! [theme! Ant. S. To me she speaks; she 1 means me for her What, was I married to her in my dream, Or sleep I now, and think I hear all this? What error 2 draws our eyes and ears amiss? Until I know this sure uncertainty, I'll entertain the 3 proffer'd fallacy. Luc. Dromio, go bid the servants spread for dinner. Ant. S. Am I in earth, in heaven, or in hell? Dro. S. Master, shall I be porter at the gate? ACT III. SCENE I.-The Same. Enter ANTIPHOLUS of Ephesus, DROMIO of Ephesus, ANGELO, and BALTHAZAR. Ant. E. Good signior Angelo, you must excuse My wife is shrewish, when I keep not hours. [us; Say, that I linger'd with you at your shop To see the making of her carkanet, And that to-morrow you will bring it home; But here's a villain, that would face me down He met me on the mart, and that I beat him, And charg'd him with a thousand marks in gold; And that I did deny my wife and house.- Marry, so it doth appear, our cheer welcome dear. Ant. E. O, signior Balthazar! either at flesh or fish, A table-full of welcome makes scarce one dainty dish. Bal. Good meat, sir, is common; that every churl affords. Ant. E. And welcome more common, for that's nothing but words. [feast. Bal. Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry Ant. E. Ay, to a niggardly host, and more sparing guest: [part; But though my cates be mean, take them in good Better cheer may you have, but not with better heart. But soft! my door is lock'd. Go bid them let us in. coxcomb, idiot, patch! Either get thee from the door, or sit down at the hatch. Dost thou conjure for wenches, that thou call'st for such store, [door. When one is one too many? Go, get thee from the Dro. E. What patch is made our porter?-My master stays in the street. Dro. S. Let him walk from whence he came, lest [door. he catch cold on's feet. Ant. E. Who talks within there? ho! open the Dro. S. Right, sir: I'll tell you when, an you'll tell me wherefore. [din'd to-day. Ant. E. Wherefore? for my dinner: I have not Dro. S. Nor to-day here you must not, come again when you may. [the house I owe? Ant. E. What art thou that keep'st me out from Dro. S. The porter for this time, sir; and my name is Dromio. [office and my name: Dro. E. O villain! thou hast stolen both mine The one ne'er got me credit, the other mickle blame. If thou had'st been Dromio to-day in my place, Thou would'st have changed thy face for a name, or thy name for 10 a face. Luce. [Within.] What a coil is there, Dromio: who are those at the gate? Dro. E. Let my master in, Luce. Luce. Faith no; he comes too late; And so tell your master. Dro. E. O Lord! I must laugh:Have at you with a proverb.-Shall I set in my staff? Luce. Have at you with another: that's,-when? can you tell? [hast answer'd him well. Dro. S. If thy name be called Luce, Luce, thou Ant. E. Do you hear, you minion? you'll let us Luce. I thought to have ask'd you. [in, Il trow? A "mome" was a fool, or a foolish jester.-"Patch !" a term of contempt applied to persons of low condition.Own.- Hubbub; tumult. Let him knock till it ache. Ant. E. You'll cry for this, minion, if I beat the [the town? Luce. What needs all that, and a pair of stocks in Adr. [Within.] Who is that at the door, that keeps all this noise? [unruly boys. Dro. S. By my troth, your town is troubled with Ant. E. Are you there, wife? you might have come before. [door. ope I know a wench of excellent discourse, SCENE II.-The Same. Adr. Your wife, sir knave? go, get you from the Dro. E. If you went in pain, master, this knave would go sore. twould fain have either. Ang. Here is neither cheer, sir, nor welcome: we Bal. In debating which was best, we shall a part Enter LUCIANA, and ANTIPHOLUS of Syracuse. with neither. [welcome hither. Dro. E. They stand at the door, master: bid them Luc. And may it be that you have quite forgot Ant. E. There is something in the wind, that we A husband's office? Shall unkind debate cannot get in. [were thin. Even in the spring of love, thy love-springs rot? Dro. E. You would say so, master, if your garments Shall love, in building, grow so ruinate? Your cake here is warm within; you stand here in If you did wed my sister for her wealth, [ness: the cold: [and b sold. Then, for her wealth's sake use her with more kindIt would make a man mad as a buck to be so bought | Or, if you like elsewhere, do it by stealth: Ant. E. Go, fetch me something: I'll break Muffle your false love with some show of blindness; the gate. [your knave's pate. Let not my sister read it in your eye; Dro. S. Break any breaking here, and I'll break Dro. E. A man may break a word with you, sir, and words are but wind; [behind. Ay, and break it in your face, so he break it not Dro. S. It seems, thou want'st breaking. Out upon thee, hind! [thee, let me in. Dro. E. Here's too much out upon thee! I pray Dro. S. Ay, when fowls have no feathers, and fish have no fin. [crow. borrow me a master, mean [feather. For a fish without a fin, there's a fowl without a If a crow help us in, sirrah, we'll pluck a crow together. Ant. E. Well, I'll break in. Go, Dro. E. A crow without feather? you so? Ant. E. Go, get thee gone: fetch me an iron crow. Once this,-Your long experience of her wisdom, To know the reason of this strange restraint. And dwell upon your grave when you are dead: "Part," i. e., have part.-b" Bought and sold," i. e., overreached by foul practices.-"Once this," i. e., once for all. "Made," i, e., made fast. Be not thy tongue thy own shame's orator; Being compact of credit, that you love us; Comfort my sister, cheer her, call her wife. When the sweet breath of flattery conquers strife. Nor by what wonder you do hit of mine,) The folded meaning of your words' deceit. Your weeping sister is no wife of mine, Far more, far more, to you do I incline. O, train me not, sweet mermaid, with thy note, e Spread o'er the silver waves thy golden hairs, "By this," i. e., by this time. -"Love-springs," i. c., young plants or shoots of love. - Destroyed; ruined."Being compact of credit," i. e., being made up of credu lity.Vain," i. e., light of tongue.— Syren. |